A Weekend on Memory Lane
by HardRiRi
Summary: Darien has Rini to himself all weekend. It turns from being a normal, every day routine to suddenly explaining his relationship history. How will he explain his love past to her? Will it go over well? Or will this kill their relationship? Find out!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any Sailor Moon characters.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Darien stuffed his leather briefcase with the files he had been handed earlier that day. There weren't enough hours in the day time for him to get everything completed like he wanted to. This was going to make his weekend that much more hectic and upsetting. He sighed out loud as he double checked his glossy wooden desk for anything he might need and then he walked out of the office. He strolled down the hallway, rode down the elevator, made it to the garage, got into his black Mercedes-Benz and drove off into the terrible traffic of the city. His eyes consistently glanced between the digital clock on his dashboard and the Rolex watch on his wrist; both of them said he was late.

"Perfect," he muttered as he leaned his elbow against the side window.

After about five minutes of mundane traffic, his phone went off. He sighed and answered it with an aggravated tone, "Yes? … I … I … No. I know. I know! I'm stuck in traffic for crying out loud! I'll be there in five minutes… She can _wait_ for five freaking minutes! … Yeah … Alright … ALRIGHT!"

He slammed his phone down and continued to wait in traffic like everyone else. Darien tried to kill some time by turning on the public radio.

"The book is called 'Memories on a Music Stand' by Michiru Kaioh and now she's here with us to discuss it. Hello Ms. Kaioh," the interviewer started.

"Please call me Michiru," she replied.

Darien turned it up and listened carefully.

"So in the book you describe a rather scandalous affair with a married man. Was this incident true?"

"Well, yes and no. I changed all of the names in the book except for my current spouse and my family. I want to protect these people that I care deeply about," she explained. "But to answer your question, the scandal is completely real and completely detailed _in_ the book!"

"Haha! Keep on plugging it, Michiru!" the interviewer laughed.

"Ha, yes. Well, I have to get the word out somehow! Word of mouth through the orchestra world can only do so much," she responded with a light, airy quality about her voice.

"What was the toughest part about writing this book?"

"Going back and trying to fit the pieces together with the scandal. I had to interview the man and the woman whom I hurt," she responded.

"Was the ex-wife upset?"

Darien turned the radio off before Michiru could respond. His past with her was too much for him to bear any longer. And besides, he had finally arrived at his destination both figuratively and literally. He parked in front of the building and quickly walked inside. He breezed down a few twists and turns of the brightly colored hallways and stopped at a dead end. Sitting against the wall in an orange chair was a tiny girl with light pink hair in a set of pigtails. He exhaled loudly and shrugged at her. She jumped down from the chair and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"You're late," she commented. Her voice reminded him so much of her mother…

"I'm sorry. There was—"

"Traffic. I know. Mom called the front office back after she called you," she said quietly as they walked out of her school building together.

Darien helped her into the car and when he got into the front seat, he looked in the rearview mirror to glance back at his daughter, "Rini … You look a little—"

"Dad, we talked about sex in class today," she interrupted suddenly.

"I … oh. Oh wow," he replied with a shocked expression over his face. He hadn't expected "the talk" to come so soon. She wasn't old enough to know about this stuff … was she? He felt uncomfortable. His chest felt heavy suddenly and for the first time in a while, he couldn't think of what to say to her. This whole parenting thing was still new to him …

"You don't have to say anything, Dad," she replied. "Mom had a talk with me a while ago."

"Oh … well that's good," Darien smiled as the tension from his shoulders drained a little bit.

"But…"

Damn. He wasn't off the hook yet!

"I was wondering … How did you mom meet?" she asked.

Darien stopped at the stoplight ahead abruptly and darted his eyes up to the rearview mirror again. He didn't know which was worse: telling her the history of his love life or explaining sex.

"Um … how about we make a deal? I'll tell you about your mom and me if you do your all of your homework for the weekend," he suggested.

Rini raised an eyebrow at that request; she could get two nights worth of homework done by dinner time. This would leave the whole weekend free to question her dad about his relationships.

"Deal," she nodded.

"Great!" Darien exclaimed with relief, thinking that Rini would take forever to complete her math assignments.

He pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex and helped his daughter out of the car. The two of them rode the elevator up to his floor and had to walk only a little ways down a hallway until they came to his door. He pushed it open after the twist of his golden key. Rini went ahead of him and dropped her things in the living room. She pulled out her binder from her brightly colored backpack and started to work on her math problems.

Darien strolled into his den where he put his briefcase down and loosened his tie. He sat down at his desk and turned his computer on. He sighed as he saw there was an e-mail from Rini's mother. It was her checking up on the two of them, making sure that everything was going smoothly. If there was one thing that people didn't seem to realize about the pink haired little girl it was that she could take care of herself if needed. She was highly independent. It was almost ridiculous. She acted like a mini adult sometimes.

"Delete," Darien mumbled to himself as he did just that to the notice in his inbox.

* * *

><p><strong>Four hours later...<strong>

"Daddy?"

He looked up from his paperwork that was sprawled across his desk to find his daughter leaning up against the door frame. She was in her pajamas already. Darien glanced at his watch and then stood up to his feet.

"Are you done with your homework?" he asked, strolling over to her.

She nodded in response and handed him her assignments. They walked out to the living room where a slice of cold pizza sat where she had been scribbling furiously. He looked over her homework while she grabbed him a piece of pizza. When she handed him the food, he gave her back her papers.

"Looks good," he nodded.

"Then tell me about mom," she begged, plopping down onto her knees.

Darien coughed as he swallowed his food. He had totally forgotten about their pact of the night. Sighing, he asked her with a full mouth of cold cheese and pizza crust, "What do you want to know?"

"Start from the beginning," she answered.

"Alright, but once I'm finished with all of this, you are never allowed to ask me about my relationship with your mother again, got it?" he prompted.

Rini shook his hand in agreement and then said, "Now start!"

"Okay, okay," he grinned. "Well, I guess it all began back when I got out of college. I had just moved to the city and boy was I naïve… "

* * *

><p><strong>Fifteen years ago…<strong>

Darien ran down the street frantically, pushing through couples strolling lazily hand in hand and nearly tackling an elderly woman down onto the pavement. She was caught by a tall, gangly looking blonde girl who screamed at him. He apologized profusely as he rushed back to his hastened pace and sprinted into the building on the corner of the street. He made it into an elevator that was just about to close and pressed the fifth floor button. He ran out of the golden box filled with dapper looking men and women and breathed heavily as he approached the empty receptionist desk. He felt a breeze flutter past him and he caught sight of the blonde girl he had run into downstairs. She plopped herself down in the receptionist chair.

"Um, hello," Darien smiled wearily. "I'm here to see Mr. Albright. I have an interview set up."

"No you don't," she replied sternly.

"Excuse me?"

The blonde girl didn't look up at him right away. Instead she pushed his elbows off of the granite countertop of her desk and repositioned her gold name placard so he could see it.

"Serena, is it?" he asked, pointing to the name. "I made an appointment with you yesterday on the phone."

"Yes you did. And what did I say?" she responded with an arched eyebrow.

"You said I had an appointment scheduled."

"Did I say what time?"

He thought about it for a moment and then slouched when he couldn't remember the time she had stated. This was because Serena never _told_ him what time to show up. She was appalled by his behavior not only on the phone earlier but also outside on the sidewalk and was determined to punish him a little bit. It was her task as Mr. Albright's secretary to make sure that anyone who goes through those tall double doors is worthy of his time. This young man was not at all worthy. Not yet.

"You have missed your appointment Mr. … what was your name again?" she asked, this time looking into his eyes.

"Shields. My name is Darien Shields," he said exasperatedly.

"Come back tomorrow and I'll see if I can squeeze you in," she shrugged.

"But I have another appointment tomorrow!" he exclaimed.

"Then you won't see Mr. Albright. He's a very busy man after all."

Darien couldn't believe this. He threw his hands up in the air and said, "Fine. I'll be back tomorrow."

"See you then," she waved as the phone rang.

* * *

><p>The next day, Darien came in and waited. He waited from the time that Serena had gotten to her desk until she turned her lamp out. There had been no sign of Mr. Albright anywhere. So, he came back the next day. And the next. And the next. He went for a whole two weeks straight, waiting for hours and hours just for a meeting with this man.<p>

There were plenty of college grads his same age, but none of them seemed to have the audacity or even same level of class that Darien had. They left in the middle of the day to go for a long lunch or they returned and ate it messily in front of Serena. They had no idea that they were being watched the whole time they were there. Serena's good looks were a great distraction; none of the other men took her seriously.

By the end of the third week, there was only Darien and another young man named Andrew who were still waiting patiently. The two had made some small talk. They found out that they grew up in Connecticut and were both from very ambitious families. They got along. After waiting for an opening all day, they would both walk away starving and in much need of a drink.

The two finally decided to cement their friendship one night and went out to a restaurant called "Read". This place was the literati's dream world with the walls covered in classic books and best sellers shoved on tall, windy shelves that were dotted all over the room. People came here to read manuscripts, read the next big thing, or work on critiquing the next big thing. There were VIP rooms where deals went on for new books, magazines, or anything else in the literature world. There was a café upstairs for the morning readers, movers and shakers, and then at night, it turned into a fine restaurant establishment.

"This is the longest I've ever waited to meet with someone," Andrew sighed as the waitress brought him his dry martini.

"I know what you mean. This is tiring," Darien nodded. He sipped on his beer mindfully and glanced over the menu.

"Why do you want this so bad?"

"I don't know … I think it was just something I was supposed to do. My parents are both authors. Not very good ones, but they can make somewhat of a living," he shrugged.

"But you don't want to have a best-selling book?" Andrew asked curiously.

"Not really," Darien mused. "I'd much rather have a book that will touch someone and help them on their path through life. I want to influence … make someone's life better."

His new found friend snorted and downed the rest of his drink, "That is such a load of bullshit! I want a book that is going to make me a lot of money."

"But if you put your audience first, try to satisfy them, then they'll follow you and make you a rich man," he replied with a tip of his slowly draining beer. "I feel like I have so much more to live for rather than that 'perfect' book that will never come."

Right as Andrew finished his drink, he looked around the restaurant and flagged down a turquoise haired beauty whom he thought was a waitress. Darien knew that she didn't work there; she had her Big Bird colored book plastered all over the restaurant they were in. Apparently Andrew didn't do his homework like Darien did.

"My lady, would you be so kind as to refill this? Martini. Dry. Thank you," he smiled.

She merely grinned and glanced at Darien who shook his head no. She turned around on the ball of her foot and sashayed on up to the bar. All of the men in the establishment were staring at her, wondering why such a renowned author had been asked by a nobody for a refreshed drink. Andrew was either going to get points for his stupidity or be shamed for months in the business. It all depended on how Michiru would respond.

She ended up coming back around with his drink refilled and a smile on her face. Maybe he would just be seen as an eager puppy trying to make in the publishing world and nothing more. He wasn't a threat to anyone yet, so she didn't need to treat it as such. Instead she nodded to them and walked away without saying a word.

"What a terrible waitress," Andrew scoffed as he sipped on his drink. "She didn't even take our orders yet."

Darien laughed loudly, not bothering to tell him that she was _the _Michiru Kaioh. The real waiter, who actually happened to be a man, came and took down their orders. Andrew looked a little confused, but soon moved past his mistake as he downed more drinks. Darien kept himself in check unlike his fellow writer and only had one more beer with dinner.

When they finished their meal, they did their best not to stumble out of the restaurant like a bunch of shameful teenagers. Andrew suddenly stopped Darien from leaving and tugged onto his collar. He dragged him over to a bookshelf and pulled out one of Michiru's book titled "Little Boys and Big Bows". He groaned out loud, knowing exactly what he had done. Michiru was a big deal in the literature world because she was able to blend their realm with the classical music industry as well. She was the complete culmination of class.

"I'm screwed," Andrew whispered as they strolled into the street, feeling a little bit more sober.

* * *

><p>The next day, when Darien arrived in the lobby, he didn't see Andrew. Instead, as he looked through his iPhone, he found an e-mail riddled with embarrassment from his new friend. The man had decided to pursue a different firm, a lower level firm, and work his way back up to Albright. Darien replied to him saying that he would take his chances and work through his savings in order to get a meeting with the man who made headlines and put people on the map. They decided to keep in touch and would get more drinks at the end of the week.<p>

Serena walked in that morning with a cup of coffee and a shocked expression tattooed on her face. She couldn't believe that the lobby had been completely wiped clean except for Darien. There was only one more thing that the blonde secretary had to do before she could allow him to have a meeting with her boss; she needed to interrogate him.

"Want to go for dinner?" she asked as she sat behind her desk.

Darien furrowed his brow, "Are you sure you're asking the right person?"

"Do you see anyone else here?" she grinned, gesturing to the empty chairs sitting on either side of him. "I feel bad. You've been here for nearly a month."

"You're pitying me," he sighed.

"Let me take you out!" she whined. "You need your spirits lifted. I know this great little Italian bistro right around the corner."

"Fine. Let's go."

At the end of the day, they rode down to the lobby and he followed the flighty young girl down the street. The restaurant was literally right around the corner. It was a place that could be easily missed by those who had money, but to the poor and hungry, it was the perfect family place to dine. The two walked in, were seated immediately, and given some bread with oil and vinegar to munch on.

"So why are you trying to meet with Mr. Albright?" Serena asked as she ate a vinegar drenched piece bread.

"I have a manuscript for him," Darien answered.

"Ha! You're joking," she laughed. "You could have left that with me _ages_ ago."

"No, I couldn't have," he insisted. "This is special to me. I wanted to present it to him myself."

"He'll like the dedication," she winked.

"How come I've never seen him enter his office?"

Serena opened up her menu and replied to him as she perused the options, "He knows that there people like you who want to meet him so he avoids them at all costs. There's another entrance into his office in the back."

"I'm sorry, people like me?"

"You know, college grad students who think they have the best credentials out there and the best book ever. I've met with plenty of people who are just a waste of his time," she shrugged.

"I don't think my credentials are better than anyone else's," Darien smiled. "I do, however, think my character and drive is better than other candidate out there. This manuscript isn't finished. It probably will never be finished, but it's something I would like to be working on while working with him and learning tricks of the trade."

"You're honest at least," Serena responded. After they order their food, she asked him, "Can I see it?"

"See what?"

"Your manuscript," she continued. "I want to see what kind of crap you're pushing toward my boss."

"Forgive me if I'm a little weary. I don't know if I can trust giving you my stuff."

"Why?" she pressed.

Darien was starting to feel a little nervous. He probably shouldn't have said anything to begin with. He sipped his water, trying to wash away his dry mouth that had sudden attacked his orifice.

"Seriously … why?" she asked. She knew what he was going to say … he just had to grow some balls and say it.

"Because I don't feel comfortable with giving my manuscript to a _secretary_," he sighed. He felt bad saying it, but it was true. Nothing about Serena said she would be able to give him any new opinion that he hadn't already heard from his friends or family. She was just a secretary for a man that he wanted to work for and didn't hold any more power other than that.

Right as her pretty little face started to contort into anger, a voice shouted across the room, "Serena!"

The young blonde turned around to find Michiru coming towards her way, looking even sexier than she did the night before. She leaned over and gave the secretary a kiss on either cheek before standing up straight, sticking her chest out slightly. She eyed Darien cautiously before looking back at her friend.

"Dinning with the eager to please, I see," Michiru commented.

"He's been in the lobby every day for a month. No bathroom breaks and he doesn't eat in front of me like the others," she answered.

"He's been waiting for Richard? That old coot won't see anyone!" Michiru laughed.

Serena's face hadn't changed from her sour disposition as she continued, "I thought I would treat Darien out for his dedication. But I was sadly mistaken; he _is_ like the rest of those beggars."

"I … Serena," he begged as she stood up to her feet.

"Come on then, have dinner with _me_ instead," the turquoise haired woman insisted, pulling on Serena's slender arm.

She wrenched it free and grabbed her stuff instead. Her eyes stayed locked onto Darien the whole time as she said with venom in her voice, "No thank you. I've lost my appetite. I'm just a secretary after all. I need to watch my figure. It's the only thing I have going for me."

"I never said that!" he exclaimed.

"You didn't have to. You basically insinuated to me that I have no brain," she snapped.

With that, she left the little hole in the wall restaurant. Darien ran a hand through his hair, not believing what he had just done. Michiru tossed him a sly smile before sashaying back to her VIP booth.

"Good luck getting an appointment _now_…" she said over her shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Present Time<strong>

"You pissed her off?" Rini asked as she sipped on her water on the couch. "Way to go Dad."

"Don't use that language, please," Darien asked her. "But um … yes I did. She wasn't too happy with me."

"Hold that thought. Bathroom break!"

The child leapt off the couch and started to run down the hallway to her bathroom as Darien hollered after her, "Get into your pjs while you're at it!"

He couldn't believe he was in this predicament. His child was questioning him about his love life and how it all transpired. It was only going to get grittier and stickier as he went on. He wondered if he should stop telling the story. But if he didn't do this now, he never would get another chance. Rini wasn't attracted to boys yet, she wasn't an angry, sullen teenager, and she had a decent head on her shoulders. If anything, this was the perfect opportunity to get everything out on the table.

"I'm going to brush my teeth and then I'll be ready for more!" Rini cried out to her father.

"Alright! I'll be waiting…"

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><p>That's the end of chapter 1! Please review and let me know what you think! Chapter 2 is on it's way!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Sailor Moon characters**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Darien took a deep breath and smelled his earl grey tea. This was probably the only thing that was going to keep him calm as he continued on with the story of how he and the mother of his child met. He thought he had been cunning and sly when he agreed to do this only if Rini, his daughter, finished all of her homework. He forgot to factor in how smart she was.

"So where were we?" Darien asked as he scurried back from the kitchen with the cup of hot tea in his grip.

"Mom just left you," Rini smiled. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch with a blue and white snowflake patterned blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"Which time?" he grinned.

"The Italian restaurant."

"Oh right! Okay, well, I ended up sending her a copy of my manuscript as sort of an apology," he began.

"No you didn't," Rini laughed. "You sent her your manuscript so you could get in to see the boss!"

"Maybe that was a small part of it, but I did wrap it all up in a nice bow! It looked like a present, at the very least."

* * *

><p><strong>15 Years Ago…<strong>

Darien bowed his head as he walked onto the fifth floor of the building again for the 43rd day in a row. Serena was still mad at him for his stupid comment and although they hadn't had that deep of a relationship to begin with, he did feel bad. He had to see her anger every day he went in to wait for his opportunity to see Mr. Albright.

When he couldn't take it any longer, he decided to have his manuscript wrapped up neatly by his sister and then sent to Serena's desk as a gift. Darien pulled his sorrowful expression off of the ground and found the gold wrapping crunched up on the counter. The red ribbon had fallen to marble floor and behind the tall wood and granite desk was Serena about three fourths of the way through his writing.

"You can go in finally," she said in a monotone as she kept her eyes glued to the paper. "I'll have this ready for you by the time you get out."

Darien was jumping up and down at the thought of finally getting the meeting of a lifetime when he finally realized what Serena was doing. She was editing his manuscript like a mad woman, making corrections without blinking an eye.

"You'll have _that_ ready for me?" he inquired. He didn't believe that she could

"You'll see. Just go in and meet him. Mr. Albright doesn't like to wait," she stated.

Darien straightened himself up a little, smoothed out his suit, and then walked in through the heavy wood and metal doors. Serena simply sighed and rolled her eyes after him. He had no idea what he got himself into.

"Mr. Albright?" Darien asked as he looked around the office.

It was empty. There was no one sitting in the desk that was right in front of him and no one gazing out the tall windows. There was a sudden flickering noise that made him look over at the set of couches that were spread out in the spacious office. Michiru Kaioh with her signature turquoise hair sat there, smoking a cigarette next to Mr. Albright who was smoking out of a pipe.

"Hello Mr. Shields," Michiru purred.

"Uh … it's Darien," he replied. He cleared his throat a bit and said bluntly, "I didn't know you two were an item."

"Funny, neither did I," she smirked.

"Don't be like that," Richard breathed as he set his pipe down.

"Be like what?" Michiru asked.

"You know … _catty_. It's unnecessary."

"Then I guess my presence isn't needed here, is it?" she snapped coldly as she stabbed her cigarette out in a crystal ashtray that sat on a glossy coffee table. She grabbed her leather jacket off the couch and flung it around herself.

"There was never a need for it in the first place," he said with a polite voice that had some venomous undertones.

"You're such an old fucking man," she hissed.

"And you're a sniveling little child. Get out!" he hollered.

She slammed the door shut behind her and made her footsteps loudly heard throughout the floor. Clearly these two had some type of tumultuous relationship that Darien didn't want to touch with a ten foot pole. He suddenly felt uncomfortable and didn't know what to do with himself so he shoved his hand in his pocket and started to play with his lucky cufflink.

"I'm terribly sorry about her," Richard said to him. "Please have a seat."

Darien was dying to ask again if they were a couple, but he figured that he had already stepped over his bounds by asking the question in the first place so he shouldn't press his luck any further. He sat down on the worn away suede couch and tried to relax a little bit … but it was difficult. This was his idol.

"I _really_ want to thank you for seeing me finally," he smiled.

"Serena likes your manuscript," Richard grinned as he repacked his pipe full of fresh tobacco.

"I … oh … is that how I got this?"

"Don't think that this is all about connections, because it's not. It's also about _talent_," he insisted. "You have a great skill. You sometimes go overboard on certain things, but Serena can easily fix that."

"Is she your editor?" Darien asked.

"Only for the important things," he winked. "I pay her the recommended salary of a secretary and then I give her a cash payment on the side that she doesn't have to tax. It's an easy way to get around the system and it gives her something to do while she finishes her night classes."

"Damn."

"She's smarter than she looks, huh? Surprised me too."

"There are lots of smart beautiful women out there," Darien said indignantly.

"Well I know that, but … but take Michiru for example. That woman started out sassy without the looks. Then she became gorgeous _and_ sassy which makes for a good sell. Serena, on the other hand, is …"

"Innocent," Darien finished.

"No … that's not the correct word. She's … lovable. She see's the good in everyone. She's never suffered. Michiru has been through a lot in her life and has built up a certain perspective about the world. It's a harsh perspective that usually only puts her first in the equation. She often shows her claws to frighten people. Serena however, only uses her claws when absolutely necessary. When the time is right, she will skyrocket. Get what I mean?"

"Yeah I do."

"So anyways, the child has a great brain and it isn't wasted on trash. If she didn't like your work, she wouldn't still be reading it out there," he gesture, pointing through the wall.

"Wow … I should thank her. I had no idea she had such an influence on you and who you see," Darien muttered.

"It's how I met Michi. So glad Serena told me to look past that hair color. It worked out in everyone's favor … especially my personal life," Richard mused quietly. Snapping out of his daze and thoughts of sexual encounters with his lover, he continued on, "So what is it you are looking for here?"

"Support. Help. Guidance."

"This isn't school, kid."

"I know … But school _led_ me here."

"It's such a circular world we live in," Richard whispered as he took a puff of his pipe. "Look, I'll give you the job of being my assistant, how does that sound?"

"More than I could ask for," Darien beamed.

"Don't get too excited. Your first task is going to be one hell of a—"

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

"B—"

"Dad, remember the curse jar!"

Darien stopped himself in the middle of his sentence, realizing that he had gotten extremely worked up and passionate about the story. He had almost forgotten that he was speaking to his nine year old daughter.

"I … I was going to say 'one hell of a big project'," he smiled.

"Sure you were," Rini said with a roll of her eyes and waving her father away with her hands lightly. "Continue."

* * *

><p><strong>Past<strong>

"I think I can handle anything you throw my way," Darien smiled slyly.

Richard tipped his tortoise shell glasses down his nose and arched a bushy grey eyebrow. He wasn't certain that his newly attained pupil understood what he was about to endure. But if he could make it out of this alive and genuine, then he would actually be able to make in this industry. The older man shrugged his shoulders and said, "Alright. Go see Serena and she'll give you the address to head off to."

"Are you going to tell me what my assignment is?" he asked.

"You'll find out when you get there," he nodded as he turned around and went back to smoking his pipe on the couch.

Darien walked out of the office and couldn't help but smile widely as he sprinted down to Serena's desk. She was standing there waiting for him with a brightly colored sticky note in hand and a large smirk etched over her lips. Her anger had subsided, clearly.

"Thank you for giving me a chance," he said.

"It wasn't all my doing. Your work was too amazing to put down," she replied. She handed him the note and instructed him, "Be back here at three-thirty in order to go over how the assignment went with Mr. Albright. You can't be late. He hates tardiness. It's a symptom of his greater hatred; waiting."

"Three-thirty. Got it."

"No _later_!" she emphasized.

"No later! I promise!" he said as he stood in a strict soldier position with his hand on his forehead and everything.

Serena giggled and pushed him out of the pose, "Go! Or you'll be late!" He started to walk away from her when she suddenly remembered, "Oh wait! Don't leave without this!"

He turned around and found her holding his manuscript all intact bit with added color; lots of pen markings.

"You…"

"I edited it for you!" she breathed as she pushed a blonde strand out of her bright eyes.

"Oh…"

"Yeah! You can call me if you want to negotiate anything or talk about any of my corrections," she smiled.

"But I thought I was going to give this to Richard to read over," he stammered.

"Oh no, no, no," she replied with a quick shake of her head. "He has much too busy of a schedule. He is the face of this company and of his legacy. He has other places to attend. I take care of the preliminary rounds and then I give it to him when we've finally reach mutual territory. After that, it will strictly be between you and Richard. If he deems it as reasonable, he sends it off to his personal shareholders and close, critical friends. That's how your book is going to be made. Simple as that. Cross him though, and he will make sure you get the worst reviews in town. You'll be regarded as a leper in the writing industry. So … be careful."

"This is going to be more complicated than I thought," Darien whispered to himself.

'_You have no idea_,' Serena thought.

* * *

><p>Darien arrived at his destination and was shocked to find that it was the 21 Club. This ritzy establishment was usually a scene for older people who cried for the past and the smell of cigarettes <em>indoors<em>. He wondered if he was meeting with literary dignitaries or something of the sort. Would he already be trusted with such a task?

He approached the host and said, "I'm here for Mr. Albright."

The host nodded and guided him toward the back of the restaurant and locked eyes on a familiar color of hair. He sighed and walked up to Michiru's table. She looked up from her appetizer and groaned out loud.

"God dammit!" she exclaimed. "Can't he at least make it to one meal that doesn't include being made in the office or apartment? Jesus Christ!"

"I take it he's done this before?" Darien asked.

"It's become routine," she growled. She darted her blue eyes toward the waiter and ordered, "I would like a bottle of Don Pieron, I'll take the steak rare and please put this all on Mr. Albright's tab. Thank you."

The waiter bowed and walked off to place the order before Darien could even order for himself. He flashed an angered expression toward Michiru who was too busy wallowing in her own self-pity to notice.

"How dare he!" she whispered. "He knows how much I needed to see him!"

"Would you have let _him_ order food?" Darien retorted snidely.

"Don't complain. I ordered for you. They know to always bring two of the same entre," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"So my first assignment is to have lunch with you?" he asked.

"It's a way to see if you pass," she sighed. "I doubt you'll make it through."

"What makes you say that?"

"Not even Richard can bother to have lunch with me!" she exclaimed. "What makes you think you can survive me?"

"Because I'm not old," he shrugged as a waiter came to their table with an ice bucket and an opened bottle of champagne. "I honestly don't know."

Michiru sighed and grabbed her champagne flute that had just been filled up by their lowly waiter, "What did he say to you after I left?"

"We discussed your beauty, Serena's naiveté and also how smart she is," he smiled broadly. "I had no idea that she edited a lot of the works he puts out there."

"She's an enigma, that one," Michiru replied. "I used to be so threatened by her."

Darien started to laugh, thinking she was joking and then suddenly stopped when she arched an eyebrow at him. She was serious. He never thought that Michiru, this beautiful, best-selling author with a high-powered lover could be threatened by _anyone_ of Serena's caliber. There seemed to be more this blonde receptionist than he expected.

"Why were _you_ threatened by her?"

"When I started out, I was shit. She wouldn't let me see Richard for a whole year. She read over my stuff and I would find it in the trash the next day. It was a total insult. You know your stuff is crap if that girl only has to look at it and dismiss it," she explained. "When I finally started writing from here," she gestured to her cleavage dipping chest, "from my heart, she let me in. It wasn't an instant connection with Richard. He didn't think that this pale, turquoise haired woman with low self-esteem could sell books alongside the greatest authors out there. To be under his publishing house has been a blessing."

"It sounds like he changed you a lot," Darien said wearily. "I don't think I want to change for anyone, I just want to express myself and hope I can make an influence."

"How can you expect people to be influenced and changed by you if you don't change yourself or show that you are flexible?" she asked inquisitively. "I had to get a new wardrobe, re-dye my hair, and I learn how to look professional with a hint of sexiness. Ugh… it's so hard to find that balance!"

Darien could tell that she was easily getting drunk off of the champagne. He was starting to get a little nervous. He was out in public with a well-renowned author who was getting tipsy under his supervision. What was he supposed to do?

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

"What _did_ you do?" Rini asked.

Darien walked back from the kitchen to the couch and brought with him a fruit platter. They started to busily munch away on apples and grapes before he could answer her question. He had to think up of a better way to explain to her what had transpired.

"Well … my motto at the time was 'can't beat 'em, join 'em'. So that's what I did," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>Past<strong>

Darien stumbled out of the restaurant with Michiru clinging to his coat, doubled over in laughter. She tried to stand up straight and hail down a cab, but she couldn't possibly do it with the fit of giggles falling from her lips. These two put together along with a bottle of champagne was a bad idea. No wonder Richard asked him to do this; it could only lead to disaster.

When he finally hailed a cab, they both climbed in and tried to figure out where to go next.

"Let's go somewhere where we can get more champagne and put it on his tab!" Darien chortled.

Michiru was slightly distracted at the moment by her phone. She had received a text message. Her face became a little dismal before she looked back up at the taxi driver.

"West-In condos please," she said.

"What?" he asked dumbfounded. The disheveled young author didn't understand where they were going.

"My apartment," she grinned mischievously. "I have plenty of champagne that was spent with Richard's money. We can drink all day … and then some."

She leaned forward, clearly moving in for a kiss. Darien didn't know whether to jump out of the cab at the next stop light or keep going on this crazy journey.

"So long as I get back to the office by three-thirty," he whispered, his eyes studying her seductive expression.

"God, you are such a child!" she laughed before smashing her lips against his.

The two embraced for the whole cab ride to her place and didn't remove themselves from one another's touch until they were completely satisfied.

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

"What did you two do at her apartment?" Rini asked, realizing that her father was skipping out on some details.

"Ahem … um … we read," he answered.

"You read?" she repeated with an expression of disbelief on her face.

"Y-yes! She read my manuscript!" he stuttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Past<strong>

It wasn't entirely true, but it also wasn't entirely false…

"I can't believe we just did that!" Darien gasped, his sweat glistening chest heaving up and down.

"I can," Michiru said simply as she took a drag of her cigarette. She was sitting upright, already back in her silk slip with her reading glasses on. Her eyes were scanning the thick, color-bleeding manuscript that Darien had just gotten back from Serena. He didn't understand how she could devour him so passionately in bed like that and then act like nothing happened.

"Aren't you exhausted? Aren't you exhilarated?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes. I am. Look, I'm having a cigarette and everything," she replied with a dull tone as she continued to read his work. "I have to say Serena was right. Your stuff is … intriguing. You need to cut it back a bit more to make it seem mysterious. You're trying too hard at certain parts, but I get it. Some of her corrections though … I dunno … she might make this worse."

"Let me see that," he growled as he snatched it out of her hands.

"Careful! You'll give me a paper cut!" she shrieked.

He ran his eyes all over the page. Michiru pointed her lit cigarette at a certain area and said, "See here? I don't think I reorganize that paragraph. You've clearly put a lot of thought into the structure."

"Yeah! What the hell!" he said as he started to flip through the pages violently. "So much of this she … I … no. I don't like this."

Michiru stood up to her feet and stabbed her white cancer stick out into a carved bronze ashtray. She started to get dressed as she suggested to him, "If you send me a fresh copy I can send you what I think needs to edited. Then you can decide who you want to continue working with."

"But if I don't use Serena, then Richard won't read it," Darien said as he pulled himself into sitting upright in her bed.

"She likes to make you think that she's the only connection to him. She's not his f—"

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

"Dad!"

"What?" he replied. "Freaking! She was going to say 'freaking'. Not the other word! Now will you stop interrupting me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Past<strong>

"She's not his freaking gatekeeper," Michiru hissed. "I can get to him too."

She finished zipping up her skirt and had buckled herself into her Mary-Jane shoes. She walked back over to the nightstand and started to put her watch on when she realized what time it was.

"You better get going," she insisited. "It's three o'clock. You have a half an hour to get back to the other side of town."

"Shoot!" he exclaimed as he jumped out of bed and got dressed as fast as he could. He couldn't be late to meet with Mr. Albright, otherwise he would be fired and his chances of getting his book published would be demolished. He rushed around the room and grabbed everything he could recognize as being his. Once he was dressed and all of his things, he ran up to Michiru and was going to kiss her goodbye. She grimaced at him and leaned back with disgust.

"You're sweaty, your breath stinks and I have lip gloss on," she mumbled. "Please go."

He laughed a little bit as he ran out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

"And look at the time! You should go to bed little lady!" Darien said, glancing at his own watch.

"But Dad, it's only nine! I thought we changed my bedtime for the weekends!" she whined.

"Did we?" he asked. "Huh … maybe you and your mother did…"

He couldn't say no to those big eyes; it was how he fell for her mother. Sighing, said, "Okay, compromise time. You go watch some late night cartoons while I go run down the street for some ice cream. When I get back, I'll keep going until your bed time … which is when exactly?"

"Midnight!" she beamed, thinking she could fool her father. When he crossed his arms over his chest, she realized she couldn't get away with it that easily, "It's ten-thirty."

"Okay then. Ten-thirty it is. I'll be right back."

With that, he got up, grabbed his keys and his jacket and left to go get some treats.

* * *

><p><strong>Up next is Chapter 3! Please review! ^_^<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Sailor Moon characters**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Darien walked out of the mini convenient store and paused for a moment, leaning up against a brick wall of an alley. He held the paper bag full of late night sweets and pulled out his favorite; a pack of cigarettes. He took one out and shoved it into his mouth with a shaking hand. He lit it as he stood there, wondering how the hell he was going to continue on with his story. Just as he was thinking about the precise way to explain to his daughter that he was all over the map as a young out of college graduate, he was bombarded by a homeless man.

"Can I bum a smoke?" he asked.

"Here, take the whole pack," Darien answered, handing him the cigarettes and the lighter.

"R-really sir?" the dirty, trodden down man stammered.

"Yeah. I only need one when I'm really stressed."

He left the packet of cancer causing sticks with a man who needed them more than him and he walked back down the street into his building. With one quick elevator ride up, he made it to his apartment where Rini was resting on her stomach, her legs flailing in the air behind her. The cartoons on the screen flashed and yelled in odd voices, but the sounds didn't mask his entrance. She bolted right up and ran to the kitchen where he was unpacking the ice cream and kettle chips.

"If you get a stomach ache, don't come crying to me, please," he begged halfheartedly.

"And if you get lung cancer, don't come crying to me!" she replied as she grabbed the carton and tore into it. "I can smell the cigarettes. I thought you quit."

He smirked at her as he reached above the counter to pull out two bowls for them, "I did. I only allow myself one a year. That should tell you how stressful this conversation is to me."

"Funny, I was going to let the whole thing go and then you brought it up again," she beamed sarcastically. "So please go on. You've sparked my interest again!"

He leaned over as he scooped out some off white colored ice cream with caramel swirls and fudge chips. He glanced up at his daughter through his hanging bangs, "I think you're too smart to be my little girl. Where did you come from?"

"I came from Mom!" she giggled. "Now go on!"

* * *

><p><strong>Past<strong>

Darien raced into the building, his tie askew, his papers sticking out of his briefcase and his eyes attached to his watch which almost made him trip over his feet. He stumbled to the front desk and gasped a little bit for breath. Serena stood up to her feet and narrowed her gaze at him, studying the sweat drops along his brow. He didn't know if she could tell that he had had sex with Michiru or if he was just being paranoid. After all, sleeping with the boss's girlfriend or lover or whatever the hell she was to him was kind of no-no in certain parts of America … like everywhere.

"You did it … you actually did it," she whispered.

"I did what?" he asked.

"You passed."

"Passed?"

"Unfortunately, you passed the test," she said, swallowing the hard lump that had formed in her throat. "Let's hope you don't regret it."

"You keep talking to me as though you know me. You don't know anything about me! You're a secretary!" he growled. He kept his voice low so that the things he said to her didn't bounce off the walls. "I won't need your corrections or edits. I can get along fine without your help."

"Well you won't be getting any of my help. I've put in my two weeks' notice," Serena stated firmly. "It was nice knowing you Mr. Shields. I'm sorry you've turned out like the rest of them."

"Rest of who?"

"The rest of the men who walk through those doors. Quite sad," she sighed as she sat down at her desk. She picked up her phone and pressed a button before saying, "Yes he's here. Okay." Serena glared up at him slowly, "You may go in."

Darien shook his head and strolled into the large office, patting his disheveled hair down and readjusting his tie. He pushed open the door and found Mr. Albright chewing on another cigar. He sat at his broad desk this time with his feet kicked upon it.

"You made it back just on time. Good," he beamed.

"Mr. Albright, I'm afraid I have to tell you some—"

"Please have a seat," he ordered as he dropped his feet down to the floor. Darien did as he was asked and plopped down on the hard wooden chair. Mr. Albright tilted his head and narrowed his gaze a bit, "Don't think I don't know where you just came from boy. I know all about it. Michi called me right as you ran over."

"Well, I—"

"No, no. Don't explain yourself. She's a hard person to resist. I should know. I keep breaking things off and coming back to her. She's addicting," he said with a waft of his hand in the air. "That's why we have an _open_ relationship. I know I could never keep a woman like that down forever. She will eventually come back when she needs me… She's power hungry, man hungry … _woman_ hungry. Everything under the sun. She will never be satisfied just by one person. She's like an ocean storm; you can't quiet it down with your thoughts." He paused a moment, his expression becoming gentle, "She likes you. She's happy. You could say you've calmed her seas for now."

Darien chuckled a bit and hung his head.

"Since you made it back on time, I'm going to let you take the rest of the day off. Cool your nerves, get some shut eye. I want you in this office by seven," he ordered. "Now go."

His pupil stood up to his, holding his hand out to shake. Instead, Richard handed him his burnt out cigar. Darien nodded and then awkwardly turned around to walk out of the room. Before he could make it to the door though, he whipped back to face him.

"Sir. I have a quick question."

"Yes you can date Michi. Just don't fall in love with her … or vice versa," he said before Dairen could get his question out.

"No, sir, that wasn't what I was going to ask. Is Serena really quitting?" he asked.

Richard paused for a moment and stared at Darien over his glasses that he had tipped down his nose. Arching a hairy eyebrow he smirked at him, "Calm down there cowboy. You can't have everything all at once."

"No, it's not that I want to date her. I just wanted to know if she was quitting because of me," he said sheepishly.

Mr. Albright dropped his shoulders and sighed, "I don't know. She was anxiously awaiting your arrival today. I think she really liked you."

"What exactly was this 'test'? Was it to see if I would sleep with Michiru?" he asked.

"No. I just have a history with her and I wanted her to interview you and see how you held up to her standards."

"She didn't seem too thrilled at first. She acted like you do this to her all the time."

"I do," Richard said nonchalantly. "I didn't give her any preparation that I was cancelling our lunch. It was … well it was, what it was."

Darien nodded again and then walked out of office. He strolled to the elevator which was the halfway mark between Mr. Albright's office and Serena's desk. He kept stealing glances of Serena busy at the phones and her computer. Right as the elevator made it to the floor, a man in a well-tailored suit who had a very baby face came out and walked up to the front desk. Darien could hear him asking to see Mr. Albright. Right before he left, he could hear the man whine, "But I had an appointment!" He wondered if this fresh-out-of college guy was going to make it. Then Darien wondered if _he_, himself, was going to make it.

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

Rini was clearly starting to get cranky that her mother and her father hadn't ended up together yet. She stood up and stormed out of the room with her empty bowl. Darien sighed and got up to go after her, much like he had to do when his mother was upset with him.

"Rini…"

"Dad, you still haven't ended up with Mom, she hates you in the story … where's the love?" she asked as she tossed her dish into the sink.

"Hey!" he snapped suddenly, not liking her tone or temper at all. "First off, don't throw your bowl like that. You'll break it."

"How do you know?" she said saucily.

"Because I've done it!" he answered, his brow furrowed. "And second, you haven't even let me get to the good part. Your mother and I had a … rough, rough start." He leaned against the island in the center of the kitchen and with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked down at his little girl and asked, "Would you like me to continue? There will be a rough road, but that's a part of our path and our terrain."

She rolled her eyes and stalked off to her room, "Fine."

"Young lady," he said with a warning tone. "Don't give me that tone."

"Just keep going," she sighed.

The young, feisty pink haired girl walked into her room with her father strolling after her. She climbed into her bed that was half covered in stuffed animals. As she shoved her body underneath the covers, he sat down on the edge of her bright pink bed.

"I don't think you're going to like the rest of this story if you're already giving up on me now," he announced gently. "Your mother didn't give up on me then … don't you do it now."

She grabbed a fuzzy light pink bunny and squeezed it as she replied, "I'm not giving up. I'm just disappointed."

* * *

><p><strong>Past<strong>

Darien walked onto the fifth floor of the building one minute before seven. He looked over to his right and saw that Serena was there, busily reading another manuscript, editing it as fast as her writing utensil would allow her. She didn't look up to see him, but she could feel his presence in the room. As he started to head toward Mr. Albright's office, he heard her voice cut through the silence.

"Don't go in there," she commanded stoically, her eyes still glued to the paper before her.

"I'm supposed to be here at seven," he said, turning around to face her.

She was now putting down the reading and walking toward him. Serena unleashed a set of gold and silver keys from her pocket and clacked loudly past him. She gestured for him to follow her. It looked as if they were going into Mr. Albright's office, but really they were heading for another door that was to the left of the giant double doors. She unlocked the entrance and pushed it open. There, in secret from anyone who were to come into the lobby was a large room filled with cubicles and corner offices. It was completely empty.

"This is where you're going to be working," she explained.

"I thought I was going to be his assistant," Darien said, completely confused by the situation.

Serena laughed a little bit, "You and everyone else that walks out of those doors. No. you'll be starting here," she gestured to a small cubicle in front of them, "And you'll be working your way up … if at all possible. Some people have been in this same spot for years. You'll be lucky to get into the middle of the gauntlet."

"I don't understand."

She sighed with aggravation and placed a bejeweled hand on her hip, "You start down at the bottom of the cubicle rows, the smallest of them all, and you work your way up to bigger ones. Once you've completed that, you might get an office room."

"What's beyond that?" he asked.

"My job," she answered, crossing her arms over her chest, "which is now up for grabs for all of those people in the large offices. They're going to be like rabid hyenas trying to get that spot."

Darien sat down on the common office chair at his newly designated cubicle and looked up at her, "Where will you go?"

"That's none of your business," she whispered in a low voice before turning around and leaving. "I will be available if you need anything. Get yourself acquainted. The rest of the herd comes in at eight. Be prepared."

Darien sat at his desk in silence and contemplated who he was deal with here. It was a whole other world. This guy – Mr. Albright – ran the show and he meticulously made sure that everyone fought around him. Maybe it was so that no one could see what a man he really was.

Before he knew it, a whole swarm of people came buzzing into the office through another door across the room. Apparently the way he had come in was a back entrance. He was going to have to learn a lot if he was going to make it in this business.

Four young men pushing carts filled with thick envelopes came down the aisles and tossed them onto the desks of people. Darien was surprised when he was handed not just one, but six different books that had to read, edited, and returned to the authors by the end of the week. He exhaled loudly and then started to tear into the first one. Right as he was pulling it out, someone placed a cup of coffee on his desk. He looked up and saw his colleague from the lobby. He smiled broadly and stood up to give the guy a "bro-hug" which consisted of a half hold and a big pat on the back.

"How did you make it here? I thought you quit!" Darien exclaimed.

"I got a letter from Mr. Albright like a week ago saying I could work for him. He said something about Serena being really impressed by me," he said.

"Serena?"

"Yeah."

"When did you talk to her?" he asked.

"We ran into each other at a coffee shop and got to talking," Andrew shrugged.

"Huh … well, cool! I'm glad man!" he beamed. Darien looked out at the rest of the office and asked, "So where are you in this crowd?"

"I'm in the center. Right there," he pointed. "Hey! Wanna get lunch today? Celebrate your first day? My treat!"

"Sure. Sure. Sounds great," he nodded.

Andrew looked at his desk and raised his eyebrows, "Damn. Albright is starting you off strong. What is that? Five scripts?"

"Six. He gave me _six_," Darien corrected him.

The two awkwardly waved goodbye to each other, knowing that they had to get to work as soon as possible.

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

"Wait. Don't tell me mom started dating your friend Andrew," Rini whined.

Darien threw his hands up in the air, "You seem to know this story pretty well already Rini," he said. He had hoped that his little girl would have gotten tired and fallen asleep by now. He was starting to get frustrated with her temper and the fact that he couldn't even get to the part he wanted.

"Well Mom has told me _some_ stuff about her past," she replied.

"Okay, you know what? I think it's time for bed, little lady," he announced as he stood up and started to walk over to the doorway.

"NO! Wait! Don't end it now!" she begged.

"Serious, kiddo, I'm starting to get cranky here. Daddy needs his sleep too," he said as he turned the light out. Her small bunny shaped nightlight went on and he closed the door.

Darien strolled back into his room and started to undress a bit, removing his watch and unbuttoning his shirt. He looked at his dresser and examined the photo on the nightstand. It was a rhinestone covered frame with a few of fake jewels falling off. In the actual frame was a picture of Darien, Serena, and Rini laying in a bed of brightly colored fall leaves. The picture was taken when Rini was five. He missed those carefree days.

As he was about to reminisce more, there was a tiny knock at his door. He looked over and saw his daughter leaning against the frame with a pout covering her face. Darien grinned and patted his bed. She climbed up onto the grey comforter as kicked off his shoes and leaned back against the pillow. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and started to continue on with the story.

"So, your mom was dating Andrew which for some reason rubbed me the wrong way," he said.

"It's because you loved her," Rini whispered.

"Yeah … I guess so. But I didn't know it at the time."

* * *

><p><strong>Past<strong>

It had been a year since Darien had worked for Mr. Albright. He and Michiru were still dating and surprisingly there hadn't really been any big rocky fights. He didn't know if it was because they fit together so well or if it was because they were too scared to stir the other one up. Either way, they were still seen as the trendiest couple at the gala that they were attending in downtown Manhattan.

Darien had moved his way up to a corner office in the firm and was now dealing with big name authors. His material still hadn't been published since he gave it to Serena and that was probably because he gave a fresh copy to Michiru who never ended in correcting things. He felt like she would never get his work published so that he would have to keep relying on her. It seemed to be the only connection they had now a days.

"Why are we here again?" Darien asked as he sipped on his champagne.

"It's to promote some new political book coming out by an esteemed colleague of mine," she answered as she kept her eyes glued on the crowd, looking for someone.

"What's their name?"

"Her name," she corrected. "It's Haruka. She's amazing. I've been trying to get her to send her stuff to our publisher, but she won't budge. She's too loyal. I don't know if I like it or hate it."

"Why not both?" a voice said from behind.

The couple turned around and found Andrew and Serena linking arm in arm. It caught Darien off guard. He smiled weakly at them and then finished his champagne.

"Hello Serena!" Michiru beamed as she leaned in to hug the blonde. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" she replied with a broad smile over her face.

Michiru's eyes jumped down to her hand and she noticed an engagement ring on her previously naked finger. She tugged on her hand and exclaimed, "You're getting married?"

"Uh … well …" she blushed.

"Congrats," Darien cheered, raising his empty glass. "When's the date."

"It's still up in the air," Andrew responded, cutting Serena off who was going to say something, but then promptly shut her mouth.

"I'm so happy for you!" Michiru gasped as she roped Serena into a hug.

Serena blushed and pushed a curly strand of hair behind her ear. She awkwardly kept glancing at Darien while Michiru and Andrew talked about the firm and the book that was being pushed to this crowd. They were about to move onto another topic when suddenly the turquoise-haired maiden caught sight of her prey; Haruka. She grabbed Andrew's hand, telling him that he "simply must meet her" and then dashed off to go find the lady of honor, leaving Serena and Darien alone.

"So …" he started.

"So…" she repeated.

"I guess you and Andrew are happy!" he smiled.

"Yes. Yes, we are," she replied stiffly.

"When did you …?"

"Last month."

"A whole month! Wow. Have you started on any plans?"

"N-no."

"Oh. Why not?"

"I don't know," Serena whispered solemnly.

Darien could tell that she was growing more and more uncomfortable with the conversation. He swiftly exchanged their empty glasses for fresh full ones and then started to tug on her wrist. He guided her outside into the garden and plopped her down on a cement bench beside a gaudy water fountain.

"So where are you working now?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I'm actually working for Vogue," she grinned. "It's tedious, menial work so far, but they said if I stick with it for two years, I could work my way up to a reoccurring contributor."

"Wow. That's great."

"I work on their website a lot and I edit the reviews they post online. They gave me the one job that nobody is going to look at. I mean, how many people have computers these days? Not a lot. And the internet takes so long to load … ugh."

"Yeah, but pretty soon you'll be working with real pages and working a medium that you're more comfortable with. It just takes time," Darien smiled.

"Well … what about you? Andrew told me you have a corner office now. Good job! I'm surprised."

"Are you really?" he laughed.

"No," she giggled. "No, I'm not. I mean Richard had a total man crush on you from the start."

Darien rolled his eyes and chugged the rest of his drink. Coughing a bit, he shook his head, "He hates me now."

"He hates you? When did that happen?" she asked. She fanned herself with her hand and blushed, "Whew! I think the bubbles are getting to my head."

Darien gestured for the waiter to refresh them as he went on with what he was saying, "Yeah, he and I haven't been getting along lately."

"Is it because of Michiru?" she asked as she reached for another glass mindlessly from him.

"Let's just say he has control issues."

"So is Michiru," Serena mumbled behind her glass.

Darien narrowed his gaze, "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"She has you on a leash! If I had gotten that manuscript in my hands more like in the beginning, it would be on all of the shelves, you would have interviewed for the New York Times, and John Stewart would have been all over you like white on rice!" she said.

"Don't insult me with a cliché like that and don't talk about her as though you know her," he replied sternly. "Besides, it's not the one who has control issues. You let Andrew talk all over you in there."

"Oh shut up. You know nothing about us," she growled as she stood up and started to stalk off through the large garden.

Darien followed her, knowing that with her slight frame and busy schedule, she was probably getting a lot more drunk than expected.

"Do you love him?" he asked.

Serena stopped dead in her tracks and almost shoved her designer covered foot into the grass. She turned around slowly and walked back like she had a cool, calm, collected storm brewing underneath her feet. She stopped right in front of him. He could feel her breath fluttering against his skin, which would have turned him on except for the fact that her eyes were shooting daggers at him.

"It's an easy question."

"Love is a very complicated thing," Serena said as she put weight onto one foot.

"You're getting married… Shouldn't love be the focal point?" he asked.

"Not always," she murmured as she casually grabbed his drink and downed the rest of it.

"Then why? Why are you doing this? You're stringing him along!" he exclaimed with a flabbergasted tone.

"You want me to end it? Huh? Fine! I'll end it!"

"Don't do it because of _me_!"

Serena was about to drunkenly stumble back into the party when Darien grabbed her roughly by the arm and drew her close, "You think he's really going to take you seriously when you go stumbling in like this? A drunk mess?"

"I know what I'm doing!" she slurred.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do! Now let me go!"

She wrenched her arm free and went back into the party, smoothing her black dress down and taking a deep breath. She approached Andrew who was talking madly away with the author of the said book, Haruka Tenoh. Serena gasped suddenly as she lost her footing and clutched onto Haruka for support. The short haired blonde couldn't help but snicker while Andrew was trying his best to hide his fiancée's drunken behavior.

"What the hell, Serena?" he whispered.

"I'm sorry. The bubbles must gotten to my head," she replied in a hushed tone. "Will you take me home?"

"What? No. You made your bed, now lie in it," he scolded her.

"Yeah, but you have to share it with her, right?" Haruka commented. "After all you are lovers."

Serena snorted out loud, causing a few people to turn their heads, "HA! Yeah right! You kidding me? It's not about love, it's about a connection … to what, I don't know."

Haruka took hold of Serena and started to guide her gently through her house, "Okay, little rabbit, let's get you some water and put you down for a nap."

"Little rabbit?" Serena replied as they walked out of the room full of people. "My nana used to call me that."

"Well, isn't that sweet? Probably because if anyone give you alcohol, you tend hop around like a little bunny," she grinned as she did her best to hold this fragile girl up. For being such a wafer thin woman, she sure knew how to make it difficult to get her from one room to the next.

When she finally made it to her guest bedroom, she gave Serena a glass of water, took her shoes off and rolled her over onto her side so that she could sleep the bubbles away.

"Sleep tight little rabbit."

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

Darien glanced down at his little girl and noticed her head bobbing up and down with the effects of sleep taking hold of her.

"Do you need to go sleep?" he asked.

"N-no!" she murmured.

"Yes you do. Come on," he said as he climbed off the bed and picked her up into his arms. He carried the little girl back to her bedroom without complaint and tucked her in. Kissing her forehead, he whispered, "Good night little rabbit." He then turned out the light and went to bed himself.

* * *

><p>Please review! ^_^<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Sailor Moon characters or any of the brands or labels mentioned.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

The next morning, Rini was already awake and eating a cold bowl of cereal. Darien ran a hand through his messy hair as he stumbled toward the coffee maker and began to go through the motions of brewing himself a fresh pot. He glanced at her for a moment and wondered if she remembered where they had left off.

"You were at the part where mom passed out," Rini stated, practically reading his mind.

"Can it wait until I have my coffee?" he asked.

"No," she said simply as she took her bowl and sat down on the couch.

He sighed and followed her, rubbing his temples. He started to recall where they were at in the story and moved on as the coffee pot brewed boisterously in the background.

"Your mother finally woke up from her stupor an hour later. Her hang over was starting to hit her and it was clearly affecting her mood toward her fiancé and vice versa. Andrew had left the party and deserted his bride-to-be," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>Past<strong>

Serena sat up in the bed, staring at Darien as she sipped a tall glass of water. Her eyes were glazed over and she was pissed off. She was mad at herself, her situation, and most off all her fiancé.

"He left me," she growled.

"He didn't know what to do with you," Darien replied.

"So he left me to sleep here?" she exclaimed.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"Oh I'm just peachy!" she snapped sarcastically as she whipped her feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Take me home. I don't want to be here anymore."

He waited for her to put her shoes on before guiding her out of the guest bedroom. They approached the living room area out in the front of the house and found Michiru and Haruka talking away like they were lost soul mates. Darien didn't know if he was supposed to be okay with this or not. He felt slightly uncomfortable with how close they were sitting on the couch together. He did his best to brush it off and grabbed their coats, signaling that they were going to go.

Serena approached Haruka and shook her hand with an apologetic tone in her voice, "I am so sorry for my behavior today. It was totally uncalled for and it was very immature. It will never happen again."

"Relax," Haruka grinned. "We've all been there. I'm just glad that this happened to you in a place where you have friends."

Her eyes jumped to Darien and she winked at him. He was taken aback by the gesture and tried to smile at her.

"Are you ready to go?" Darien asked Michiru. She looked like she wasn't about to move from her casual state on the couch.

"I think I'm going to stay here," she answered, her turquoise eyes flashing with mischievousness that wasn't directed toward him. Darien felt a strange shift in that moment.

"Um, okay. Well … will I see you at my place later tonight?"

"No," she answered.

There was an awkward silence that befell the group. Darien took a deep breath and with a wave of his hand, gestured for Serena to follow him out of the house. They thanked the hostess and walked as fast as possible to his car. The start of the drive back to the city was a little tense at first. Darien ran through subjects to talk about with her in his head, but none of them could come to his mouth. He started to go for the radio, but Serena slapped his hand away instead.

"Don't. I don't want to listen to music," she stated.

"Well I can't sit in silence for very long," he replied. "We're going to hit traffic soon. Please talk to me or give me music."

"Fine I'll talk," she shrugged. After a few seconds of thinking she said, "You do realize that Michiru is going for Haruka."

"What? No she's not," he scoffed. "She's not a lesbian."

"I never said she was. I don't believe in labels," Serena replied. "But I do believe she's attracted that woman. Don't deny it! You could feel that chemistry boiling over in that room… They're going to do it."

"They're going to do what?"

"_It_! Sex! They're going to have sex!"

"No! You don't … you don't think she would cheat on me, do you?" he stuttered.

"There's no such thing as cheating in Michiru's vocabulary. That woman has been stuck to Richard Albright for years and she finally broke away from him completely when she met you," she replied. "I think she will do what she wants without any care for you or your feelings."

"But—"

"Did she say explicitly that you two were together?"

"No, but—"

"Then she's not yours to have," she interrupted. "There was no verbal contract."

His hands squeezed the steering wheel as he thought about their relationship over the last year. She had been slightly detached and not at all emotional. He hadn't really gotten to her core. She would give him little general snippets of her life, but he never actually knew any true facts about her. All of the information that Darien knew about Michiru someone else could find from Google. It disappointed him.

"I don't know her at all," he said, breaking the silence.

Serena leaned against her closed fist and cast a sideways glance at him, "That doesn't surprise me. The only person who did know her was Richard and even then it was limited."

"How do _you_ know so much about her?" he prodded.

"After reading a manuscript from beginning to end, through all of the corrections and additions, you get to know the author very well," she answered with a monotone to her voice.

A small grin curled the edges of Darien's lips, "What did my manuscript say about me?"

"I don't know. I read it one time. I can't get anything from you if you only trust me _once_," she emphasized.

"I … I'm sorry I didn't trust you like I should have. I thought Michiru knew the business better than you."

"Because I'm 'just a secretary'," she said in a mocking tone.

"That was rude of me. I'm sorry."

"Please quit apologizing. I'm sick of hearing those two words today. I feel like we've apologized for the rest of our lives!" she said exasperatedly.

"Okay. No more apologies from now on," he smiled as they inched onto the freeway.

"So how is it working for Richard on the floor?"

"It's exhausting, but worth it … I think."

"It is. Trust me. The man is getting old. He needs someone to take over his spot soon."

"You think? He seems like he's in really good shape."

"Oh no, no, no, no!" she laughed. "That man smokes his cigars and pipes every hour he's awake. He has at least six cups of coffee, if not more. And to top it off, he drinks bourbon like a fish. His liver is failing, his lungs are deflating, and his heart is probably clogged up with all of that Havarti cheese he eats."

"Damn … he's a beast."

"He's a cow."

"But a respectable cow."

"Yes. The masses of the literary world would devote a whole shrine to this holy cow," she giggled.

"What made you get into this business?" he asked.

"Oh the sheer cattiness of it all. Who would have guessed that the fashion industry is ten times more cut throat," she beamed. "It's fun. It's fun to edit people's work, correct their mistakes, and help them build a better piece of work."

"How does it feel working in the fashion industry now?"

"It feels … odd. I'm constantly looked at for my sense of style rather than for my mind, but in some ways, that's refreshing."

"Does Andrew like you working there?"

"I don't _care_ what Andrew thinks."

"He's your fiancé."

"He's a man who decided to give me a ring to claim me. We haven't discussed it any further," Serena said.

"Are you happy?"

"What do you think?"

"No."

"Bingo."

"Then why are you with him?"

"Because he and I work well. It's a business arrangement more than anything."

As they slowly drove on through the sluggish traffic, silence befell them yet again. Darien stared out the window, watching the sun go down faster than they were driving. He sighed out loud and looked back at Serena who was still looking like she was in pain from the day's events.

"You should pull over at the next exit," she declared.

"Um … why?"

"This traffic is going too slow. We should go to a dive bar somewhere."

"You want to go have a drink after your day?"

"I _need_ a drink after my day," she laughed.

"Okay then," he breathed as he started to shift from one side of the freeway to the next.

It took them about twenty minutes to finally get off the highway and exit into a side town where there were plenty of dusty roads with creepy bars plopped in various places. The question was which one to choose. Serena pointed to the one place that had the most action and the most Harley Davidsons parked outside. Darien was a little tentative to go inside, but he did it anyway without mentioning his concerns. They approached the bar and ordered a couple of beers from the shaggy looking man who wore a dirty leather and denim shirt. His weather beaten face was comforting to the couple as they relaxed a little bit more in the grungy room.

"Are you going to go through with this marriage?" Darien asked, his curiosity sparked by the alcoholic beverage hitting his tongue.

"I don't think so," Serena answered honestly, shaking her head and turning her lips into a frown. "I think I'm going to call it off. I can't imagine leading a life with him. My mother will be furious."

"It's not about her. It's about you."

"Touché."

"Are you going to move out of the apartment?"

"We don't live together," she answered. "That was the one correct decision I made throughout this whole relationship." She paused for a moment and took a swig of beer before asking indignantly, "Can we get off the topic of _my_ relationship?"

"What? You want to talk about my relationship with Michiru again?"

"Well … yeah."

"We haven't moved in. She's very busy all the time and I hardly see her. She's either working for the orchestra or working on her next memoir."

"Has she been seeing Richard at all?"

"Yes. He has been giving her the go around with this book. She comes home pissed off after every meeting."

"Of course she does. Richard will never give her the green light with her work until she breaks up with you," she informed him. "Richard is extremely controlling – more so than Andrew and Michiru combined. He wants her all to himself. That's the only way they've been able to work together."

"Am I supposed to be afraid of this information you're telling me?" Darien asked.

"No, but I think you should be cautious. Richard is not a force to reckon with."

After a pregnant pause, Serena said to him, "Send me a piece you like. I'll see if I can't get it into Vogue as an essay piece or something."

"You don't have to—"

"You're flailing Darien. It's time for you to move up a little bit more … make a splash."

"You would do that for me?"

"Yes. I still believe in that manuscript I read oh so long ago."

The two smiled playfully at one another and finished their drinks quickly, eager to get back out on the road and into the thick of things.

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

Rini walked out of the bathroom with a bright pink toothbrush in hand and her body dressed in a cute, flouncy tutu dress with matching ballet flats. She had rehearsal for a recital that she was going to perform in on Sunday night. She scrubbed her teeth while talk to her father, making sure not to drool all over her face.

"So mom helped you with your career?" she asked.

"Yup. She put me in Vogue."

"How?"

"Honestly?"

Rini nodded while still brushing her teeth.

"She gave them a picture along with my story."

"And _that's_ what got you in?" she mumbled with foam in her mouth. She rolled her eyes at the thought of her father being chosen for his looks more than his writing skills.

The little girl ran into the bathroom to spit out her saliva remnants while Darien answered, "Um yeah. Your dad is considered a handsome fellow, you know!"

"I believe that," she said as she walked around the apartment to collect her things together. "I just can't believe that's what got you in. What about your writing?"

"My writing was a side note," he said with a shrug as he gathered his keys and waited by the front door. "But you know what? That helped catapult your mother and me into an amazing relationship which ultimately created you."

Rini approached the front door with her bright pink backpack and placed her hands on her hips, "Dad, Margo is picking me up downstairs!"

"Oh …. I must have gotten lost in storytelling," he grinned. He patted her head and asked, "Do you have your lunch?"

"Yes."

"What time are you coming back home?"

"I should be home by three."

"Good. I'll have a snack ready for you and then maybe we can go see a movie later tonight," he beamed.

"No Daaaad! I want to hear the rest of this story when I get back!" she whined, stamping her foot for emphasis.

"Okay! Okay! Then I'll make enchiladas instead and we can keep talking. Maybe I'll even buy some cookie dough," he chortled.

"Yay!" she screamed before laughing her way out of the apartment.

Darien relished in the sudden silence that filtered through the space after his daughter's departure. The story was only going to get stickier and thicker the more he went on, but there was no turning back now. Rini was hooked on this subject matter. He just hoped this wouldn't come blowing back in his face later on. Serena had never exposed her personal life to their daughter and now Rini was trying to gobble up as much as possible. He would have to rein it back a little bit for future parts of his life because she was too young to really understand the dynamics of a relationship, but he would always be honest with her.

Darien fell onto the couch, sighing as he closed his eyes and drifted off into a slumber. He was about to dive into a very strange dream about Serena and Andrew performing in a ballet together when suddenly his restful state was interrupted. He looked over at the coffee table where his phone was vibrating loudly and blasting a bluesy tune from it. He picked it up and saw a photo of Serena's smiling face lighting up the screen.

"Hello?" he answered groggily.

"Have any magazines been calling you lately?" she asked.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up, "Not that I know of. My assistant has the weekend off and I haven't checked my messages from the office. Why?"

"Michiru's memoir has been blowing up the charts and clogging up my phone lines. They want to know if that married couple who was quote-unquote destroyed was us. Darien … our personal life is exposed because of that wretched woman."

"Serena, don't be cruel."

"Darien, my job at Vogue could be at stake here!" she exclaimed. "Fix it! Meet with her. Talk to her. Do whatever it takes!"

He couldn't help but laugh at her striking voice. She was definitely fitting more into her editor job at the famous fashion magazine; it was apparent in her demeanor.

"Okay. I will. I'll talk to her."

"Today," she ordered.

"Today?"

"Yes, today."

"But Rini—"

"Is at a ballet rehearsal. You should have no trouble getting out of the apartment," she interrupted.

"Serena…"

"Darien, just do it. The sooner, the better."

"Alright."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"How is our little girl by the way?" Serena asked, her voice jumping down into a more gentle tone.

"She's great. She's doing great. I think she misses her mom, but she knows you're working hard," he said. "How's the next issue coming along?"

"It's a whirlwind. It's post-September and you know how big our September issue is," she sighed. "So now we have to keep going, pick up the pieces and work on October. Everyone is exhausted. Anna is on a warpath constantly."

"How do you feel about Michiru being on the cover of the September issue?"

"You know I hate it," she grumbled. "But I'm professional when I need to be. My boss did warn me that they might want to do a spread on our relationship … I told them no."

"Are we the only dramatic couple in New York?" he asked.

"We're the only ones who have high class and are connected to so many people in this town. They want dirt on us," she answered. "Anyways, please meet with Michiru today, get it done, and get her to cover her tracks. She owes us that much."

"You're right. We helped boost her career after all," he nodded.

"Darien, I have to go. Someone just walked into my office with more feathers when I specifically asked for no feathers this month. And pink no less! I don't understand people in this office sometimes," she said through what he assumed were gritted teeth.

"Bye."

"Bye."

He took a deep breath as he stared at the black screen in front of him. He wondered if this was the right thing to do for a split second, but then he reminded himself that if he didn't do this, he would get it from Serena. He punched in Michiru's name and listened to the phone ring on the other side on speaker phone.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice grainy and a little choppy.

"We need to meet today," he said bluntly.

"Hello to you too Darien," she replied snidely. "I was waiting for you to call me."

"Serena's not happy."

"Serena has _never_ been happy."

"Just meet me at Read, please. Twenty minutes. Don't keep me waiting."

He hung up the phone before Michiru could argue her way out of meeting with him. He needed to get this over with as soon as possible. Darien was never one for confrontation with a woman like Michiru; she was terrifying when she was angry. He got up off the couch and started to get ready for meeting with her. More than likely, paparazzi would be following her around so he needed a place that would be private and not littered with fake people. He hoped this meeting would go smoothly …

* * *

><p>Please review! ^_^<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

****So sorry for the wait everyone! I have been so busy with life! Hope you enjoy this!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Darien swept a shaky hand through his hair as he waited impatiently for Michiru to arrive. He could never escape this vixen's grasp, as much as he tried. He glanced down at his Rolex watch quickly before looking back up at the front door of the restaurant Read. After another thirty seconds of waiting, the turquoise haired woman breezed in through the entrance. She was grasping onto her ever expanding belly as she teetered in high heeled boots toward the table. A smile curved her lips drastically as she leaned over to give Darien a hug. He jumped out of his seat and embraced her gently before pulling out her chair for her to sit.

Once she settled down a bit, she sighed, "So to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today, Mr. Shields?"

"I wish you would have told me you were _this_ pregnant," he replied. "I wouldn't have asked you to come all the way across town to meet me."

She waved the comment away with her manicured hand, "I used to carry my cello on my back across this city when I was first starting out. Having a five pound baby is nothing."

Darien couldn't resist grinning, "Is it a boy or girl?"

"I don't know," she answered, rubbing the mound that had grown quickly over the last few months. "We won't find out until the little one decides to come join us in this world."

"That's exciting," he smiled as the waiter approached them. He looked up at the server and ordered a latte while Michiru asked for a cup of warm jasmine tea.

When the stranger left them alone, she asked Darien, "So why did you need to see me so urgently?"

"Serena is up in arms over your latest memoir," he grimaced as he leaned back in his chair. "Vogue wants to do a spread about our relationship because of the uproar you've created in the literary world."

"Please. I was not the only one who partook in that drama," she scoffed. "We all played our parts."

"You especially."

"Serena has been working with Vogue for years now. I didn't need to warn her about the dangers of working with high-class pop culture. It was bound to get out sooner or later," Michiru commented.

"But did you realize how bad this would affect her work life?" he asked.

"That's not my concern."

"Of course it's not," Darien replied, rolling his eyes.

They sat in silence, staring at one another across the table. Darien clenched his jaw tightly as the waiter walked up to them. He served them their drinks and then breezed away, sensing tension.

"Why did you have to make this into such a scandal, Michi?" he whispered. "You knew exactly what you were doing."

"It brought you back into my life," she shrugged. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for weeks and weeks and you wouldn't answer my phone calls, e-mails, text messages, the like. I do not have to answer to you any longer. I wrote what I thought was the truth. If you would like to hash it out, we can. I would gladly do a correction dedicated to you and Serena. But only if I get your quotes, your words, and a truthful answer from _both_ of you."

He pursed his lips for a moment before shaking his head, "You know Serena will never go for that. She has too much pride."

"What does she have to lose?"

"Our daughter," Darien answered instinctively. He pointed to her stomach, "You'll learn soon enough. When you have a child, all you want to do is protect them."

"This is your life, Darien," Michiru replied.

"Precisely. Do you think I want my child to know the mistakes I've made in my life?"

"Yes. Then she won't make the same ones."

He was taken aback by her answer. She was completely right. He was absolutely terrified to explain to his little girl everything he had done because he didn't want her to go down that path. But really, because he was telling her all of his mistakes and consequences he faced, he's deterring her from …well, heartbreak.

"Let me go to Serena's office and see what she has to say about all of this," he said cautiously.

Michiru sipped her tea before saying, "Should I expect a storm to come my way?"

"I'll text you," he nodded.

Darien threw down a couple of bills for his drink and then collected his things. He leaned over and kissed Michiru on the cheek goodbye. Even though they had been through tough times, he still highly respected her as a woman and fellow author. She was doing her job and doing it well. Darien didn't want to speak with her about the memoir to begin with because of fear, but what did he have to be afraid of now? Richard was dead after all…

* * *

><p><strong>Five years earlier…<strong>

"Did I really have to come along?" Serena asked quietly.

She and Darien were being driven in their personal limousine to the funeral of Richard Albright. She and Richard had left on bad terms and he had practically wiped her clean from his life. No one outside of his super tight inner circle knew who she was. That was how this world worked for them; one minute you're the center of everyone's attention, the next you're an outcast.

"Serena, he jump started both of our carriers," Darien sighed, "it's really in our best interest to go."

She leaned back and examined his expression, "Are you serious? This will not promote my career in any sense of the word. Vogue will have a small column dedicated to this man, _maybe_."

"You're just bitter."

"And you're excited to see Michiru," she hissed, crossing her arms over her silk blue Ralph Lauren dress.

"We've been over this before—"

"Yes and you refuse to even bring the subject up!" she exclaimed.

"I didn't cheat on you!" he shouted.

"Forget it!" she snapped.

"This is so like you to just give up! You know I'm right about this!" he stated.

"I am not discussing this any further," Serena insisted.

"Why?"

"Because we're here," she pointed.

Darien looked out his tinted window and saw that they were in fact finally at the ranch. Richard's property expanded for as far as the eye could see. The grass was deep green with a single black tent out in the middle of the field. There was a red carpet leading through the large red barn behind his extensive east-coast styled home. The limo pulled up to the barn and two valets in matching black, white, red, and gold suits opened up either door. Cameras from planted photographers flashed as Serena and Darien got out and walked down the carpet. They clasped onto each other as they entered the tent. There, they saw about fifty or so large gold framed photos of Richard, capturing him through his life. People milled around the tent as Simon and Garfunkel played in the background.

"I thought we were going to a memorial service, not a museum," Serena whispered in Darien's ear.

He merely shrugged at her as they followed everyone else ahead of them. They signed the guestbook and then started to look at the pictures of Richard around the room. The black and white photographs of his childhood made him seem human finally. Darien had never been able to pinpoint Mr. Albright as ever having a carefree bone in his body. He was imaginative, sure, but some of this pictures of him running across the beach with his siblings or climbing trees with his friends seemed out of the ordinary. He sure had a way of covering up this part of his life. The pictures soon morphed into iconic pictures of him in the seventies with large bellbottoms, lots of chest hair, and jewelry for days. Serena covered her smile as she gestured to an eighties tinged photo of Richard. The chunky, color-block sweater said it all. Darien chucked a little bit as they continued on.

The photos of the nineties started to show people that both Serena and Darien could recognize finally; Michiru, Haruka, Andrew, and a few celebrities too. There was a candid black and white picture of Serena and Richard at the office that caught her off guard. Richard was leaning over the front desk, smiling at Serena and she was beaming back up at up at him. She stood in front of the image for a while, studying it and trying to remember that moment. This must have been taken by Michiru years ago. Back then, they had all holed themselves up in his office with Chinese food and cigarettes. They had all been working on Michiru's sophomore manuscript late into the night; her deadline had been just around the corner. Michiru had been fooling around with her new camera. This was the result of the final photo of the night.

"I think that is the only time he was ever at your desk," Michiru said from behind.

Serena whipped her head around and plastered on a fake, wide smile, "Hello Michiru. I am so sorry for your loss."

"For _our_ loss," she corrected.

"Yes. Of course," Serena blushed.

Michiru's turquoise eyes darted to Darien who was holding himself up pretty well considering all of the rumors that were going around about his crumbling marriage with his wife. She studied his stature and couldn't help but notice how fit he looked.

"How are you doing, Darien?" she asked.

"I'm doing well, thanks," he smiled genuinely.

"Thank you so much for coming."

"I wouldn't miss it. Richard was my mentor and has made me into the writer I can claim to be now," he smiled.

Behind Michiru, Haruka made her way through the throng of people and slithered her body against her lover's. The turquoise haired beauty didn't flinch as she felt Haruka's strong arms curl around her waist.

"You all have met, haven't you?" Michiru asked her partner over her shoulder.

"Yes. We have," Darien nodded as he extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Haruka."

"Likewise, Shields," she smiled as she shook his hand. Her blue eyes jumped down to the Serena who was still feeling a little uncomfortable in this setting. "What's got you looking so shy, little rabbit?"

She snapped out of her daze and looked at Haruka bashfully, "Oh! Well, I just … erm…"

"There aren't a lot of people here who like Serena," Michiru said slyly. "It's like a detective being sent to jail with all of their convicted fellons."

Haruka had a surprised expression of amusement splashed over her face, "Is this true, bunny?"

"Well, I don't know that I would necessarily put it that way, but yes. Essentially, it is a little nerve wracking for me to be here," she nodded.

"You still working with Vogue?" Haruka asked.

"Yes I am," she beamed.

"She's a contributing editor," Darien grinned as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight.

"Finally!" Haruka exclaimed. "How long have you been waiting for that position?"

"Years," she smiled.

"They actually offered her a higher position in England, but she turned it down," Darien added.

"Why would you do that?" Michiru asked.

"I have a child," she answered. "I can't just pick her up and move her. Stability is key for her right now."

"I was moved around all over the place and I turned out just fine," she replied with a rather snarky tone.

Darien coughed and pushed on the small of Serena's back, "Well, we should go and pay our respects to the family." He knew that if they stayed there any longer, Michiru and his wife would get into a battle that he couldn't possibly handle.

The couple walked toward the largest photo in the room with a wreath of white and red roses with black and gold ribbon braided throughout. There, his family, which consisted of her plastic surgery induced ex-wife, a portly, balding brother, and a young son that continued to tug at his mother's designer dress. Darien could distinctly feel a pair of eyes on the back of his head as he gave his condolences to these characters in front of him.

"Thank you for coming," the Barbie-faced woman said through extremely white teeth.

"Thank you for inviting us. Your husband has been in our thoughts since he was stricken ill," Serena cooed. It surprised Darien how she could become so caring and tranquil when people clearly needed it.

"Your family has been so generous lately," the ex-wife replied. "Thank you for offering your home to little Jaime here. He loves playing with Rini."

"She loves playing with him too," Serena smiled.

"Where is your daughter today?"

"She's with her grandparents. I didn't think this was a suitable place for her."

"Ah. Well, thank you so much for coming."

They all shook hands again and then Darien and Serena walked out of the tent. The two paused as they exchanged glances with one another. They came to the silent consensus that they would leave to go home. They made their appearance known, nothing more was needed of them.

Once they were snug in the back of the limo, Darien asked Serena, "Is there another reason you left Rini with your parents today?"

It was strange to him that Rini hadn't come with them to this memorial service. She and Jaime were very close friends and as far as Darien was concerned, Richard had pretty much played the part of being a godfather to the pink haired girl. Even though Serena didn't want to acknowledge it, Richard had been the catapult for them both into the life they led.

"You want the truth?" she replied.

"Yes."

"I didn't want our daughter around your harlet," she seethed.

"Michiru and I are not together!" he shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you this?"

"You'll have to tell me as many times as it takes for you to get to the truth," she sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Present<strong>

Darien rode the elevator up to the floor his ex-wife was working on. They were having a photoshoot today for one of the spreads for the October issue. As he waited for the transportation to take him to her, he wondered how he should best protect himself from her wrath. Would there be enough people there so that she couldn't snap at him? Usually even with just one model around, she would keep her cool.

The doors opened up to a bustle of people rushing around and from the looks of it, they were in transition for more photos. Chaos ensued all around the studio as giant lamps and silver umbrellas flashed. The model standing on the grey background stared at the camera and changed her body with every little click. It was like watching a stop motion dance. Serena was standing with her clipboard of photos and thumbing through the racks of clothes.

"Anna said she didn't want to go back to the seventies. And we need more color. This is becoming boring. Give me sparkle," Serena begged the assistant. The young woman next to her pulled out a bright blue tube dress with a skinny black bow. "Oh Jason Wu, you complete me," she beamed as she glided a finger over the fabric.

She glanced at the assistant who was frantically looking back and forth between Darien and the dress she was holding. Serena turned around, placed a hand on her hip, and then pointed to the opposite side of the room. There was a door wide open to an office. Darien took the direction and strolled toward the office where two people were already seated. There was a man leaning over the desk, looking through the photos that had already been taken earlier that day. He stood up straight suddenly, knowing who Darien was.

"Does Serena need the office?" the man asked.

Darien nodded. He couldn't remember this guy's name for the life of him, so he thought it was best to keep his mouth shut. Luckily, everyone was so busy at this very moment that polite conversation was eliminated from their mindset.

The room was cleared once Serena entered. She shut the door behind herself and walked around the desk to sit down. She turned the screen of the computer off so that she wasn't distracted by the designer photographs in front of her. Darien pulled up the only other available chair to sit in and leaned forward onto his knees.

"How was lunch with Michiru?" she asked.

"It went well. She wants to make a direct, printed apology," he answered.

"Great. I'm glad it's settled," she breathed as she hopped up to her feet.

"Not yet," he replied with a tilt of his head. "She wants to speak to both of us."

"She wants to interview us? No. No way. I told you already—"

"Serena, it's either that or you start looking for work elsewhere. People here can feel the cloud hanging over you. I can see it out there," he replied. "I've never seen a room cleared so quickly like that before."

"We're making up for lost time. The staff is on crunch time," she explained as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's bullshit," Darien laughed, tossing his head back a little. "I know for a fact that you are on the edge of your seat, just waiting for that call from Anna. You're afraid she's going to fire you over this."

"No I'm not," she responded strongly. "Actually, I'm afraid she's going to want to make this a huge story. She thinks it would be a good follow up to the September issue that's out already."

"Why don't you do it?"

"What will Rini think? Her friends' mothers will be seeing me in the pages of this famous magazine, across the internet, probably in the New York Times too and it will be because of a stupid, crazy moment in our life," she said ruefully.

"She's going to love us no matter what," he reassured her as he stood up to his feet.

"How do you know that? She's going to be hitting puberty soon. Her hormones are going to turn her into a monster."

"Then we should get it all out in the open now. Rini's a very independent little girl. She's already learning about sex for crying out loud," Darien smiled. After a tense pause, he confessed to her, "I've been telling her about how we met and got together."

"Have you really?" Serena asked with wide eyes. "I hope you're being careful about the details you're giving her."

"I am, but I'm also giving her the information that I think she has a right to know," he explained. "I think if we go through with this and actually talk to Rini about it and give Michiru our side of the story, it will turn out better than you are expecting."

Serena didn't answer right away. She stared at Darien for a moment before gripping a little tighter onto her clipboard. "Alright. Fine. Let's give her what she wants. But I will warn you that this means we're going to have to take photos, we might have to answer to other magazines, newspapers, or even the late night talk show circuit. It will be a whirlwind."

"I think our family can handle that," he said.

"How far along in the story are you?" Serena asked curiously.

"You just offered me a space in Vogue," he answered with a side grin.

"Oooh … that's right before…" Serena couldn't even finish that sentence without blushing at the memories that flooded her mind.

"Yup."

She licked her lips and smirked, "I think I should be around for this next part."

"You think?" Darien replied with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, I do. We can make it into a family night. Wine for you and me and nice home cooked meal for the little one," she declared.

"Who's going to cook? You can't even make cereal properly," he laughed.

"Darling, you forget that I work at Vogue. I have a connection to all the best restaurants in town," she winked. Serena opened up the door and gestured for him to leave, "I'll see you tonight at seven sharp."

Darien waved goodbye to her and briskly walked back to the elevator of salvation. He was getting himself into more drama than he could possibly handle, but he figured that if he did this now, it would all be for the betterment of their future; their daughter's future.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Michiru's number. When she picked up he told her, "It's all set. I think Serena will be in touch with you soon. Yeah. Okay. Give Haruka my best. Bye."

* * *

><p><strong>Up next: family night! Please review!<strong>


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